North of the Pass, South of the River

In the fifteenth year of the Jingxi reign, General Yu Wang of the Northern Garrison crushed the Xiongnu and returned victorious. The emperor was delighted, rewarded him for his service, permitted him to enter the Golden Terrace, granted him a thousand mu of fertile land, and ennobled him as Marquis of the Northern Garrison. Just as everyone thought Yu Wang held immense power at court and had the emperor’s favor, Emperor Xuan suddenly issued an order: He was to marry Wen Shen, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. A leader of the incorruptible faction, a man of statesmanlike talent, Wen Shen had fallen out with Emperor Xuan a few days earlier for speaking frankly on state affairs, and was now being squeezed by the eunuch faction. He was also Yu Wang’s childhood sweetheart. Scholars and officials throughout the realm were outraged, and jointly petitioned the emperor to rescind his decree. The generals and soldiers of the Flying Tiger Camp were furious, the northern frontier was in an uproar, and unrest seemed imminent. Even Wen Shen himself submitted a remonstrance opposing the marriage and went on a hunger strike to show his resolve. Yu Wang, however, simply accepted the imperial decree with all due respect. On their wedding night, word spread that Wen Shen had slept in the study and Yu Wang had been left out in the cold. Yu Wang’s loyalists and the incorruptible faction began a vicious cycle of trading insults and attacking one another. And that was exactly what Emperor Xuan wanted. But a few months later, Wen Shen wore the thirteen-ring gold-and-jade belt worn by first-rank military officials, while Yu Wang wore the embroidered crane sash prescribed for first-rank civil officials. The assembled officials: So we were all wrong about them! P.S. 1. Grand Secretary of the incorruptible faction x powerful Northern Garrison general Childhood sweetheart top x childhood friend daddy bottom 2. Wen Shen’s courtesy name is Daoheng; Yu Wang’s courtesy name is Zishen. 3. Marriage first, love later. 4. A fictional dynasty, with a little court intrigue. At heart, it’s a sweet little romance. 5. New chapters every night at nine. Theme: Hard work creates happiness.